Rest of the AFC West: Week 4 Takeaways
Los Angeles Chargers 24, Philadelphia Eagles 26
Chargers once again look decent, once again lose regardless
The Los Angeles Chargers slip to an 0-4 record after yet another close loss. At least this time, it wasn’t kicker Younghoe Koo’s fault. Despite the loss, there were some positives for the Chargers. The passing game finally came together. Philip Rivers completed just 22 out of 38 pass attempts, but threw for 347 yards, two touchdowns, and no interceptions. Tyrell Williams took the top off of the defense with a 75 yard touchdown reception early in the game. This opened things up for Keenan Allen underneath, who ended with 5 catches for 138 yards.
Antonio Gates and Hunter Henry didn’t see much action in the passing game, as they were often used to protect Philip Rivers against the Eagles strong front 7. Rivers was protected fairly well, only getting sacked twice. Henry did however score a touchdown with a nice one-handed grab in the back of the end zone. The defense did give up 454 yards of total offense, but kept the game manageable by forcing four field goal attempts, all of which were successful. As for the Chargers, Koo was a perfect 1 for 1 on his field goal attempts.
Unfortunately, it was not enough to beat a tough Eagles team. The only large mistake the Chargers made all day came on their first drive. Philip Rivers was rolling out of the pocket when he was hit from behind, causing him to lose a fumble. The Eagles capitalized on the short field with a touchdown drive. This turned out to be the difference in the game.
The offense continues to be one-dimensional. Melvin Gordon rushed for only 22 yards on 10 carries. Twelve of those yards came on a single attempt. This type of performance is becoming the norm for Gordon, who is only averaging 3.1 yards per attempt in 2017. Remember former top 5 overall pick Trent Richardson was laughed out of the league with 3.3 yards per carry on his career. Rookie scat back Austin Ekeler took his only carry for 35 yards and a touchdown. Hopefully the Chargers will continue to get him involved.
The defense gave up a lot of yards, especially on the ground. The Eagles rushed for 214 yards as a team, with LeGarrette Blount having 136 of them. Blount looked like 2014 Marshawn Lynch, breaking tackles and rumbling for a 68 yard gain. The Eagles were able to ice the game on their final possession with a 13 play drive, most of which were running plays. This inability to stop the run ultimately did the Chargers in, as they were unable to get the ball back to try and win the game.
The Chargers face another struggling team next week as they travel to New York to face the Giants. The Giants, who are also 0-4, were a playoff team last season. This is a must win game for the Chargers, but it won’t be easy. The Chargers passing attack will have to face a good secondary, and the defense will have to figure out how to stop superstar wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr.
Quick Notes
The Chargers once again had to play in a hostile environment, in their own stadium. The Chargers were booed when they took the field, due to the large number of Philadelphia fans in attendance.